With or without Elliott, Cowboys must stick to game plan

Matt Williamson is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns and spent 10 years at ESPN as a scout and co-host of "The Football Today Podcast." Find him on Twitter @WilliamsonNFL.

Obviously, the big news in Big D is Ezekiel Elliott's status. When will his suspension occur? Will it occur? Such things are out of our jurisdiction, but another important question is: How different are the Cowboys with and without Elliott?

The answer: Not that different.

Obviously, the running back position is far better off with Elliott in the lineup, and Dallas' percentage of run plays is probably greater with the ability to hand it off to him. But, overall, this team has to keep the same formula with and without their star available.

And here's why: The Cowboys' defense needs to be protected.

The reason is that there's not much talent on that side of the ball. The team's structured more around offense than defense.

Sean Lee is a great player, but has missed time and hasn't been at his best when on the field. Byron Jones has a ton of ability and versatility; he's a fine all-around defensive back. DeMarcus Lawrence has been one of the best edge players in the league and an extremely pleasant surprise, while David Irving could be a difference-maker now that he's back from his suspension.

Other than that, there are more questions than answers on this side of the ball. Therefore, Dallas, more than most teams, needs to limit the stress it puts on its defense and keep its snaps to a minimum.

They did that exceptionally well with a rookie quarterback, great running back, and elite offensive line last year. Even if Elliott is out of the picture, Dallas should still be a run-centric team to help the defense as much as possible.

But this offense is a little different from last year. The Cowboys have three elite offensive linemen, but the line as a whole hasn't been nearly as dominant as it was in 2017. Having two new starters in the front five hasn't helped. Still, there's reason to think that this line can regain some dominance as the season goes on. No other unit has the combined star power of Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick.

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When it comes to Elliott, though, he's looked less explosive and more sluggish than he did during his rookie season. He doesn't appear to be in the same shape. So he hasn't quite done his part this year. But if he stays on the field, the best could be yet to come. Few backs in the league have his skill set.

That has forced the Cowboys into far less manageable down-and-distance situations, and has put more stress on Dak Prescott. That's a worrisome recipe for such a young quarterback, but Prescott has stepped up and embraced the challenge. He was impressive for a rookie, but has clearly taken a big step in year two.

Prescott brings a lot to the table as a runner and his presence continues to greatly enhance Dallas' ground game. He also continues to make plays as a runner once the play breaks down. But where he has shined is from within the pocket. He keeps his eyes downfield and is looking to pass first, rather than relying on his athletic ability. That's an encouraging development for the Cowboys' franchise quarterback.

As for Prescott’s weapons, it has been a mixed bag. No receiver in the NFL faced a more daunting slate of cornerback matchups to start the season than Dez Bryant. While Bryant looks much healthier in 2017 than last year, he has, predictably, had a tough time thus far.

However, he looks to be out of the woods in this regard and might be primed to receive a large workload. Bryant’s best 2017 days should be ahead of him, and on Sunday, the 49ers are unlikely to have an answer for him.

The other wideout that should get more exposure is Brice Butler, who should see more snaps at Terrence Williams' expense. Thus far, Williams has played about twice as many. That needs to change.

This is a moot point now, but it sure would've been nice to have a young, high-upside guy like Rico Gathers to complement Jason Witten at tight end as well. Gathers is eligible to come off injured reserve from his concussion in Week 9, but that's reportedly unlikely.

One thing this offense should do more of is take shots downfield. That's true with or without Elliott on board, But certainly Elliott's presence helps the deep passing game. Dallas has dialed up very few deep balls, but Prescott has been excellent on such throws. More are needed.

In the end, the recipe here is clear. Dallas needs to rely on their offensive line to open holes for whoever is carrying the ball. It looks as though it's safe to put more on Prescott's plate, but, in the end, the defense is a liability and needs to be protected. Elliott allows that to happen much easier than the other running backs on the Cowboys' roster, but they may have to make do without him.